To facilitate the further processing and handling of yarn cheeses and like bobbins, it is helpful during original winding formation of the bobbin or cheese to initially place a few windings of the leading end of the yarn on the tube apart from the main body of the yarn package to serve as a reserve of yarn before the main body of the yarn package is wound on the tube. These so-called foot windings or foot reserves are formed at a foot end of the tube to be used, for example, to connect the end of the cheese when running out in a creel with the start of a replacement cheese or bobbin, so that a continuous delivery of yarn from the cheeses in the creel is accomplished. Depending on the intended use of the cheese or bobbin, it is important to pull the yarn off the creel in accordance with its twist either as a left-wound or a right-wound yarn. In the production of twisted yarns, the direction of running of the yarn in accordance with the yarn twist is also important. Depending on the intended use of the yarn, it must therefore be wound on the tube either with a right-hand or a left-hand winding in accordance with its twist. For example, with a right-hand winding on a conical cheese or bobbin, the greater diameter of the yarn package is on the right end of the tube, while with left-hand winding on a conical bobbin the greater diameter lies on the left end of the tube, as viewed in the direction of the winding station. Since with a conical cheese or bobbin the yarn is always drawn off over the end having the smaller diameter, the yarn reserve is always located on the end of the conical tube with the larger diameter. Accordingly, with a right-hand winding, the yarn reserve is located on the right end of the cheese forming the foot end, while, with a left-hand winding, it is wound on the left foot end of the tube of the cheese.
As a rule, the winding stations of textile machines and their bobbin change devices, whether of a dedicated winding frame or of the winding device of a spinning machine, are exclusively designed for winding a yarn reserve on one end of a tube. Thus, for example, in case a winding device is converted from right-hand winding to left-hand winding, a conversion of the device for winding the yarn reserve in the form of foot windings on the empty tube is not possible as a rule if the deposit system of the yarn for forming the yarn reserve consists of a displaceable yarn guide.
A device for forming a yarn reserve on an empty tube is known from the prior art, for example Swiss Patent 513 763. Formation of the yarn reserve takes place by displacing an empty tube with respect to a yarn supplied at a constant position. However, this device is able to deposit a yarn reserve only on one end of the tube.